Report by Ms. Lorena Schlicht, Mayors for Peace France (AFCDRP)
On May 31, 2024, Toshiko Tanaka, 85, and Tadayoshi Ogawa, 80, as part of the Peace Boat hibakusha delegation, shared their experiences of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with students in Gonfreville l’Orcher to raise awareness about the consequences of the atomic bombings. It is a member city of Mayors for Peace, located near the port of Le Havre.
Toshiko, six years old at the time of the Hiroshima bombing on August 6, 1945, described the horror of burned bodies and clothes reduced to ashes. Tadayoshi, evacuated from Nagasaki before the explosion of August 9, 1945, recounted the effects of radiation and the loss of his home. “We must eliminate nuclear weapons. It’s an illusion to think that weapons can protect us,” Toshiko emphasized. Tadayoshi stresses the importance of “never forgetting.” He fears the time when “no survivors will be left to testify.” Therefore, he insists that “young people must talk about it among themselves, as they have a role to play in creating a more just and peaceful world.”
These two hibakusha met with Alban Bruneau, Mayor of Gonfreville l’Orcher, Deputy Jean-Paul Lecoq, and Jean-Marie Collin, Director of ICAN France. Those present hoped their stories would inspire younger generations to vote for a future without nuclear arms.
Photos: courtesy of AFCDRP–Mayors for Peace France